Tokitenkū Yoshiaki

; September 10, 1979 – January 31, 2017 was a sumo wrestler.

He made his professional debut in 2002, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division just two years later. The highest rank he reached was ''komusubi'', which he held on three separate occasions, but never retained for more than one tournament. He earned one special prize, for Technique. He wrestled for the Tokitsukaze stable and acquired Japanese citizenship in 2014.

Tokitenkū was diagnosed with malignant lymphoma in 2015 and retired from sumo in 2016 to become a coach; he was the first Mongolian-born wrestler to acquire the right to remain with the Sumo Association as a coach following retirement as an active wrestler. He died in January 2017.

Early life and sumo background

Born in Töv Province, Mongolia, Tokitenkū was the son of a Mongolian wrestler, who reached a rank equivalent to ''komusubi'' in Mongolian wrestling. He first came to Japan in March 2000 to study at Tokyo University of Agriculture, having deferred his studies at Mongolian State University of Agriculture.

Although he joined the university's sumo club and won the under 100 kg collegiate championships in his first year, he originally intended to return to Mongolia to teach what he had learned about agricultural administration and food technology in Japan.

He was inspired to enter professional sumo by watching active wrestlers Asashōryū and Asasekiryū, with whom he had practised judo as a teenager in Ulaanbaatar. He joined Tokitsukaze stable when in his second year of university, just before reaching the upper age limit of 23 set by the Japan Sumo Association. He graduated from the Tokyo University of Agriculture in March 2004.

Career

Upon entry he was given the ''shikona'' or fighting name of Tokitenkū, a reference to Mongolia's clear sky. He began his career in July 2002, winning all of his first 22 official bouts and earning three consecutive division championships in the process. He was the third person to achieve the feat of three consecutive championships, and his 22 consecutive wins tied the record for fourth-highest, with only Jokoryu (27) and Itai and Tochiazuma (26) having a longer unbeaten run upon entering professional sumo. He progressed to the second highest ''jūryō'' division in March 2004 and, just two tournaments later, to the top ''makuuchi'' division. It took him only 12 tournaments from his professional debut to make the top division, which at the time was the equal-fastest rise since the format of six tournaments per year was introduced in 1958.

He was not able at first to maintain his ''makuuchi'' position, dropping back to ''jūryō'' twice, but a result of 10–5 in November 2005 gained him the rank of ''maegashira'' 1 as well as the technique prize. He made his ''san'yaku'' or titled rank debut in March 2007 at ''komusubi'', where he defeated ''yokozuna'' Asashōryū on the opening day but missed out on another special prize by falling just short of a majority of wins, posting a 7–8 score. He returned to ''komusubi'' in July 2007, but again scored 7–8. In 2008 he suffered ''make-koshi'' (i.e. a losing record of 7-8 or worse) at all six tournaments of the year.

He pulled out of the January 2010 tournament on Day 10 after dislocating his big toe; this was his first career withdrawal. He came back strongly posting three winning records in the next three tournaments, which sent him up to ''maegashira'' 1 for the September 2010 tournament. However, there he recorded a disastrous 2–13 score.

Tokitenkū returned to the ''komusubi'' rank for the first time in 35 tournaments in July 2013, the second longest post-1925 wait for a ''san'yaku'' return after Aobajō's 47 tournament wait between 1975 and 1983.

Tokitenkū achieved this despite being ranked as low as ''maegashira'' 8 in May. A series of poor performances after that saw him demoted to ''jūryō'' for the first time since 2005, but he secured an immediate return to the top division with a 10–5 at the rank of ''jūryō'' 3 in March 2014. He repeated this achievement once again when he was demoted in September 2014 and bounced back with a ''jūryō'' championship to again return to the top division. In 2015, he completed two tournaments in the top division, dropped back to ''jūryō'' in May and returned to the top division one tournament later.

After losing records in July and September 2015 he withdrew from the November tournament after being diagnosed with malignant lymphoma.

Having been in and out of hospital since October, he also withdrew from the January 2016 tournament to discuss his future with his stablemaster before the spring tournament in Osaka. After missing his fifth consecutive tournament in July 2016, his rank on the ''banzuke'' had dropped through the un-salaried ranks to West 26 in the fourth-tier ''Sandanme'' division.

Retirement and death

The Japan Sumo Association announced on August 26, 2016, that Tokitenkū had retired. He had become a Japanese citizen in January 2014 and had purchased the Magaki '' kabu'' (elder stock) in May 2014 from former ''yokozuna'' Wakanohana Kanji II, making him the first Mongolian-born wrestler to acquire the right to remain with the sumo association following retirement. He became known as Magaki Oyakata and worked as a coach at Tokitsukaze stable, the second Mongolian-born wrestler to remain as a coach after Kyokutenhō.

Speaking about his condition he said that "with prolonged treatment it was difficult to return to physical strength and continue sumo." He recalled his most memorable bout as being his playoff win for the ''sandanme'' championship in January 2003, against his stablemate Toyonoshima.

Tokitenkū died on 31 January 2017 at the age of 37. He had been housebound since October, and was unable to perform his ''oyakata'' duties at the November 2016 and January 2017 tournaments.

Fighting style

When Tokitenkū began his sumo career he weighed around , but he gained weight steadily and reached about , average for the top division. He favoured a ''migi-yotsu'' grip on the ''mawashi'', with his left hand outside and right hand inside his opponent's arms. His most common winning technique was ''yori-kiri'', or force out, although he also relied on pull-down techniques such as ''hataki-komi'' and ''hiki-otoshi''. He was fond of throwing moves (''nage''). He was very adept at using tripping techniques which he had gained from his experience in judo, winning 17 career bouts by ''uchigake'' (inside leg trip).

He was known for attempting the pulling inside ankle sweep ''ketaguri'' at the ''tachi-ai'' or initial charge, which he successfully used nineteen time in his career. He also used the extremely rare trip ''nimaigeri'' (ankle kicking twist down) on fourteen occasions, although he was not credited with the technique in the top division until May 2011 in a win over Shōtenrō.

Career record

See also

* List of sumo record holders
*List of sumo tournament second division champions
*Glossary of sumo terms
* List of non-Japanese sumo wrestlers
*List of past sumo wrestlers
*List of komusubi

References

External links

*
Complete biography and basho results (Japanese)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tokitenku, Yoshiaki
1979 births
2017 deaths
People from Töv Province
Mongolian emigrants to Japan
Mongolian sumo wrestlers
Komusubi
Naturalized citizens of Japan
Deaths from cancer in Japan
Deaths from lymphoma
Competitors at the 2001 World Games
World Games silver medalists